Wisconsin Badgers
Northern Illinois
Five things to know: Men’s tennis wraps up non-conference slate
February 18, 2026 | Men's Tennis
Wisconsin hosts Northern Illinois on Saturday
1 – MAKING A STATEMENT – After going 2-0 at Nielsen over the weekend the Badgers improved to 8-1 and 6-0 at home, marking their best start since the 2016 season. On Friday, Wisconsin handled business against DePaul, earning the 7-0 victory. Friday's sweep was UW's fourth this season, its most since 2020.
On Sunday the Badgers welcomed the Boilermakers for a non-conference match at Nielsen. Wisconsin earned the doubles point and took victories on five courts in singles play, defeating Purdue 6-1. Sunday's victory was UW's 65th all-time against Purdue.
2 – BIG MIKE – Senior Michael Minasyan surpassed 50 career wins over the weekend after defeating DePaul's Alejandro Gandini in straight sets on Friday. Minasyan added to his win total on Sunday, earning a comeback, three-set victory over No. 55 ranked Nour Fathalla of Purdue. This was Minasyan's second ranked win of the season.
In doubles action, Minasyan and his partner Ferdinand Kloesters improved their spring record at No. 2 doubles to 6-0. On Friday their match was abandoned when they had a 4-2 lead as Wisconsin secured the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3. The undefeated duo quickly earned a victory against Purdue's No. 2 pairing in 6-0 fashion.
3 – KNOW YOUR OPPONENT – UW is an impressive 32-2 in the all-time series against Northern Illinois, and currently riding a 19-match win streak. The two teams last met in 2020 when Wisconsin took the 4-0 win at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. NIU is off to a great start this season, currently sporting a 6-1 record.
4 – FOLLOW THE ACTION – Wisconsin wraps up its non-conference slate with a match against Northern Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 21 at noon CT. Admission is free at Nielsen Tennis Stadium and fans can find live stats/video on uwbadgers.com. Live updates for both matches can be found on X (@BadgerMTennis) and Instagram (@wisconsintennis) and a match recap will be posted on uwbadgers.com.
5 – UP NEXT – The Badgers will take a week off before they hit the road to open the Big Ten season. Wisconsin faces Michigan on Friday, March 6 and Michigan State on Sunday March 8. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. and noon CT, respectively.
Players Mentioned
